Tailoring the capability of carbon nitride (C3N) nanosheets toward hydrogen storage upon light transition metal decoration

Role of the Quantum Interactions in H2 Adsorption on Late Transition Metal Chelated Linkers of Covalent Organic Frameworks

Transition metal (Tm) chelation is an effective strategy to achieve optimal binding enthalpy (▵H) of H2-adsorption in the linkers of covalent organic frameworks (COFs). The first principle-based DFT method has been implemented to determine the H2 adsorption in nine organic linkers chelated with transition metal atoms from Cr to Zn. The obtained range of binding enthalpy for single H2 adsorbed on the pure and chelated complexes is -7 to -20 kJ/mol, which is required for onboard H2 storage. The Linker-3 chelated with Ni (II) metal exhibits the most favorable binding enthalpy of approximately -18.72 kJ/mol for the single adsorbed H2 molecule, which falls within the physisorption range. Some of the complexes have shown the binding enthalpy range between physisorption and chemisorption, i. e., in that case, H2 binds via Kubas interactions. However, physisorption-based complexes are preferable to others because physisorption is a reversible process with rapid kinetics. This study reveals that the dispersion, polarization, and electrostatic interactions mainly contribute to the binding enthalpy of H2 adsorption. Molecular surface potential analysis verifies the origin of induced dipole moment in the H2 molecule, which enhances the hydrogen adsorption in transition metal chelated COFs.

Superlight Ambient Temperature Reversible Hydrogen Storage Media Based on Alkali and Alkali Earth Metal-Functionalized 2D Square-Octagon BCN Monolayer

Energy has always been the engine of human beings; however, because of the environmental pollution caused by traditional fossil fuels, the development of more sustainable energy resources is urgently needed. The hydrogen storage medium is essential for its realization. Here, we introduce a hydrogen storage material, a two-dimensional (2D) square-octagon BCN (SO-BCN) monolayer, composed of lightweight elements (B, C, and N) and strategically functionalized with alkali and alkali earth metal atoms (Li, Na, Mg, and K). Notably, Li@SO-BCN and Mg@SO-BCN exhibit exceptional reversible hydrogen storage capabilities, surpassing the DOE standard of 5.5 wt %, with gravimetric capacities of 7.129 wt % and an impressive value of 11.656 wt %, alongside low adsorption energies of -0.21 eV/H2 and -0.268 eV/H2 at room temperature, respectively. Our investigation, which combines analysis of the atomic structure, electronic structure, and hydrogen process, reveals distinct mechanisms at play: Li activates the substrate, creating additional adsorption sites on the SO-BCN monolayer. Compared with Li, the functionalization of Mg atoms not only activates SO-BCN via charge transfer but also allows Mg2+ to act as a potent attractor for H2 molecule adsorption. This work provides both promising candidates for future hydrogen storage media based on 2D monolayers and a design paradigm for next-generation hydrogen storage materials, emphasizing the synergy of electron-donating species, substrate activation, and hierarchical porous structures.

Li Decorated Penta-BCN as a Competitive Reversible Hydrogen Storage Media: A First-Principles Study

Efficient storage media are crucial for practical applications of hydrogen, which is the most promising clean energy resource. In addition to possessing a highly reversible gravimetric capacity, the stability and superlight mass of potential storage media should not be underestimated. In this study, we exploit the light mass and unique puckered structure of penta-BCNs to design Li-decorated penta-BCNs for hydrogen storage via a series of first-principles calculations. Our results reveal that Li atoms can form stable chemical complexes with the surface of penta-BCNs with an average binding energy of -2.21 eV without causing deformation. Each Li@penta-BCN unit can physically adsorb up to 27H2 molecules, and the highest hydrogen storage capacity can reach 7.44 wt %, with an average adsorption energy of -0.16 eV/H2, surpassing the target value of 5.5 wt % set by the U.S. Department of Energy. Further elaborate analysis of the electronic structure shows the polarization enhancement mechanism, which is caused by charge transfer from Li atoms to the penta-BCN surface. Our results indicate that Li-decorated penta-BCN could be a promising hydrogen storage material for further application and inspire the theoretical or experimental design of novel materials for clean energy.

Reversible Hydrogen Storage Media by g-CN Monolayer Decorated with NLi4: A First-Principles Study

A two-dimensional graphene-like carbon nitride (g-CN) monolayer decorated with the superatomic cluster NLi₄ was studied for reversible hydrogen storage by first-principles calculations. Molecular dynamics simulations show that the g-CN monolayer has good thermal stability at room temperature. The NLi₄ is firmly anchored on the g-CN monolayer with a binding energy of -6.35 eV. Electronic charges are transferred from the Li atoms of NLi₄ to the g-CN monolayer, mainly due to the hybridization of Li(2s), C(2p), and N(2p) orbitals. Consequently, a spatial local electrostatic field is formed around NLi₄, leading to polarization of the adsorbed hydrogen molecules and further enhancing the electrostatic interactions between the Li atoms and hydrogen. Each NLi₄ can adsorb nine hydrogen molecules with average adsorption energies between -0.152 eV/H₂ and -0.237 eV/H₂. This range is within the reversible hydrogen storage energy window. Moreover, the highest achieved gravimetric capacity is up to 9.2 wt%, which is superior to the 5.5 wt% target set by the U.S. Department of Energy. This study shows that g-CN monolayers decorated with NLi₄ are a good candidate for reversible hydrogen storage.

A Comparative Density Functional Theory Study of Hydrogen Storage in Cellulose and Chitosan Functionalized by Transition Metals (Ti, Mg, and Nb)

The focus of this work is hydrogen storage in pristine cellulose, chitosan, and cellulose. Chitosan doped with magnesium, titanium, and niobium is analyzed using spin unrestricted plane-wave density functional theory implemented in the Dmol³ module. The results of this study demonstrate that hydrogen interaction with pure cellulose and chitosan occurred in the gas phase, with an adsorption energy of Eb = 0.095 eV and 0.090 eV for cellulose and chitosan, respectively. Additionally, their chemical stability was determined as Eb= 4.63 eV and Eb = 4.720 eV for pure cellulose and chitosan, respectively, by evaluating their band gap. Furthermore, the presence of magnesium, titanium, and niobium on cellulose and chitosan implied the transfer of an electron from metal to cellulose and chitosan. Moreover, our calculations predict that cellulose doped with niobium is the most favorable medium where 6H₂ molecules are stored compared with molecules stored in niobium-doped chitosan with T_max = 818 K to release all H₂ molecules. Furthermore, our findings showed that titanium-doped cellulose has a storage capacity of five H₂ molecules, compared to a storage capacity of four H₂ molecules in titanium-doped chitosan. However, magnesium-doped cellulose and chitosan have insufficient hydrogen storage capacity, with only two H₂ molecules physisorbed in the gas phase. These results suggest that niobium-doped cellulose and chitosan may play a crucial role in the search for efficient and inexpensive hydrogen storage media.

Binding and optical characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their nitroderivatives adsorbed on the C3N monolayer

Carbon–nitrogen based two dimensional frameworks have attracted significant attention due to their great potential for environmental applications.

First-Principles Study of Hydrogen Storage of Sc-Modified Semiconductor Covalent Organic Framework-1

At present, the development of new carbon-based nanoporous materials with semiconductor properties and high hydrogen storage capacity has become a research hotspot in the field of hydrogen storage and hydrogen supply. Here, we pioneered the study of the hydrogen storage capacity of a scandium (Sc) atom-modified semiconductor covalent organic framework-1 (COF-1) layer. It was found that the hydrogen storage capacity of the COF-1 structure was significantly enhanced after the modification of the Sc atom. We found that each Sc atom of the modified COF-1 structure can stably adsorb up to four H₂ molecules, and the average adsorption energy of the four hydrogen molecules is -0.284 eV/H₂. Six Sc atoms are stably adsorbed most bilaterally on the cell of the COF-1 unit, which can adsorb 24 H₂ molecules in total. In addition, we have further studied the adsorption and desorption behaviors of H₂ molecules on the 6Sc-COF-1 surface at 300 and 400 K, respectively. It can be found that each Sc atom of the COF-1 unit cell can stably adsorb three H₂ molecules with a hydrogen storage performance of 5.23 wt % at 300 K, which is higher than those of lithium-modified phosphorene (4.4 wt %) and lithium-substituted BHNH sheets (3.16 wt %). At 400 K, all of the adsorbed H₂ molecules are released. This confirms the excellent reversibility of 6Sc-COF-1 in hydrogen storage performance. This research has great significance in the application of fuel cells, surpassing traditional hydrogen storage materials.

Splitting of multiple hydrogen molecules by bioinspired diniobium metal complexes: a DFT study

Splitting of molecular hydrogen (H₂) into bridging and terminal hydrides is a common step in transition metal chemistry. Herein, we propose a novel organometallic platform for cleavage of multiple H₂ molecules, which combines metal centers capable of stabilizing multiple oxidation states, and ligands bearing positioned pendant basic groups. Using quantum chemical modeling, we show that low-valent, early transition metal diniobium(ii) complexes with diphosphine ligands featuring pendant amines can favorably uptake up to 8 hydrogen atoms, and that the energetics are favored by the formation of intramolecular dihydrogen bonds. This result suggests new possible strategies for the development of hydrogen scavenger molecules that are able to perform reversible splitting of multiple H₂ molecules.

Pinecone-Derived Activated Carbons as an Effective Medium for Hydrogen Storage

Pinecones, a common biomass waste, has an interesting composition in terms of cellulose and lignine content that makes them excellent precursors in various activated carbon production processes. The synthesized, nanostructured, activated carbon materials show textural properties, a high specific surface area, and a large volume of micropores, which are all features that make them suitable for various applications ranging from the purification of water to energy storage. Amongst them, a very interesting application is hydrogen storage. For this purpose, activated carbon from pinecones were prepared using chemical activation with different KOH/precursor ratios, and their hydrogen adsorption capacity was evaluated at liquid nitrogen temperatures (77 K) at pressures of up to 80 bar using a Sievert’s type volumetric apparatus. Regarding the comprehensive characterization of the samples’ textural properties, the measurement of the surface area was carried out using the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method, the chemical composition was investigated using wavelength-dispersive spectrometry, and the topography and long-range order was estimated using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction, respectively. The hydrogen adsorption properties of the activated carbon samples were measured and then fitted using the Langmuir/ Töth isotherm model to estimate the adsorption capacity at higher pressures. The results showed that chemical activation induced the formation of an optimal pore size distribution for hydrogen adsorption centered at about 0.5 nm and the proportion of micropore volume was higher than 50%, which resulted in an adsorption capacity of 5.5 wt% at 77 K and 80 bar; this was an increase of as much as 150% relative to the one predicted by the Chahine rule.

First-Principles Study on Hydrogen Storage Performance of Transition Metal-Doped Zeolite Template Carbon

The hydrogen adsorption characteristics and mechanism of transition metal-doped zeolite template carbon (ZTC) as a novel porous material are studied by theoretical calculations employing first-principle all-electron atomic orbital method based on density functional theory. The stability of transition metal atoms (Sc, Ti, and V) decorated on zeolite template carbon is investigated by calculating the absorption binding energy. The adsorption configurations of the doped metal atom and adsorbed hydrogen are obtained from the energy functional minimization of first-principles calculations. The underlying mechanism for improving hydrogen storage performance of ZTC by doping transition metal atoms are explored through analyzing charge/spin populations of metal atoms in combination with the calculated results of hydrogen adsorption quantity and binding energy. To improve the hydrogen storage capability, the Sc, Ti, and V are individually introduced into the ZTC model according to the triplex axisymmetry. The hydrogen storage properties of ZTC decorated with different metal atoms are characterized by the adsorption energy and structure of several hydrogen atoms. The more energetically stable complex system with higher binding energy and adsorbing distance of hydrogen than lithium-doped ZTC can be achieved by doping Sc, Ti, V atoms in ZTC, which is expected to fulfill the substantial safe hydrogen storage by increasing hydrogen capacity with multi-sites doping of transition metal atoms. The present investigation provides a theoretical basis and predictions for the following experimental research and design of porous materials for hydrogen storage.